


Payback

by helsinkibaby



Category: Law & Order
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Het, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:58:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connie thinks she owes Cyrus. He thinks he owed her first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Payback

**Author's Note:**

  * For [csichick_2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/csichick_2/gifts).



> For the Fourth Annual ShipSwap Challenge. 
> 
> csichick_2 asked for Cyrus/Connie and suggested something based around, among other episodes, "Knockoff" That's one of my favourite Cyrus/Connie episodes too!

The diner in Dargerville was almost deserted which relieved Connie to no end. She'd already had more than enough of the locals eyeing them with either suspicion or outright contempt. How Mike and Cyrus were handling it sequestered there, she couldn't even imagine.  When Mike excused himself to take a phone call, Connie didn't miss how Cyrus visibly relaxed, which gave a clue as to another wondering she had. "How's the room-mate situation going?" she asked and Cyrus gave her a tight smile. 

"No comment," was all he said, but it was answer enough and Connie found herself trying not to smile. "So I was thinking," she said, tapping her spoon against her coffee mug. "Whenever we manage to get back to civilisation, I owe you dinner."

Cyrus stopped chewing his chilli for a moment, eyes growing almost comically wide as he stared at her. Once he seemed to ascertain that she wasn't actually kidding, he chewed again, holding up one finger, wordlessly asking her to wait. A gulp of water later and he was staring at her, head tilted, brow furrowed. "You. Owe me dinner?" When she nodded, he shook his head. "How do you figure?" 

It was Connie's turn to raise an eyebrow, to chuckle, even if she'd expected it. "Cyrus, you got yourself arrested because those cops got physical with me."

Cyrus nodded. "And I would do it again." His jaw tightened, the same anger that she'd seen on the road a few nights ago passing over his features. "This whole town might be fucked up but there are lines you don't cross. Laying your hands on a woman happens to be one of them." 

Which was what she had known he'd say and she raised her coffee cup to her lips to hide another smile. "Be that as it may," she said when she placed her cup down, "it's not actually that often that someone defends my honour. I'd kinda like to thank you." 

Cyrus raised a fork of chilli to his lips, chews it thoughtfully. "What if," he said after a moment, "I told you I owed you first?"

Connie frowned. "I'd wonder if those cops roughed you up more than you told me or Mike."

The chuckle that came across the table was low but sincere and Connie found herself thinking that she could get used to hearing it. It certainly wasn't a sound she was used to hearing in her professional dealings with him. "When Ed got jammed up," he reminded her. "The Grand Jury." 

"Ah." Just like that, she was back on a New York street, an extremely irate Cyrus Lupo in front of her, the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes echoing her own feelings precisely. They'd both known that Ed Green was incapable of the crimes of which he was being accused and if the man was refusing to defend himself, then she and Cyrus seemed to be the only two who agreed that they should damn well do it for him. "My own office." It was what she'd said to him that day and he'd looked surprised then, now he just nodded. 

"Connie, you stood up in front of a fucking Grand Jury and threw shade on your own case... after your boss had told them that you guys were done." He shook his head like she still couldn't believe she'd done it but Connie felt like there was an undercurrent of admiration there too. "You're lucky you didn't lose your job for that." 

That was a fact of which Connie was well aware. "If Jack hadn't worked with me for over a year by then... if he didn't think the same about Ed as you and I did, I probably would have," she admitted. The expression on Mike's face in the Grand Jury room came back to her and while at the time she'd felt conflicted, almost guilty at going against him, now the memory just made her press her lips together to stop giggles escaping. "I thought Mike's head was going to explode."

Not having her burden of partnership, Cyrus didn't have to try to hide his amusement. "I only wish I'd been there to see it." He sipped his own drink, eyeing her thoughtfully. "So, you see, you put yourself on the line for me first."

Connie shook her head. "I did that for Ed," she corrected him. "And for me... I knew he couldn't be guilty." She moved her head from side to side, considering, before finally adding, "OK, maybe a little bit for you." 

"It all counts." Cyrus spread his hands wide and shrugged. 

"Even if it does," Connie objected, "all I did was piss off my boss. You got thrown in jail. Overnight. I think that beats an angry Mike Cutter."

"It's not a competition," Cyrus reminded her, before tilting his head, a smile playing around his lips that was reflected in his eyes. Connie had always thought that "twinkling eyes" were the strict purview of romance novels; apparently not. "Though if it were, you're right... I would totally win."

Connie grinned, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Is this where you break into a song from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou'?" she asked and he laughed. 

"Oh, if you'd heard me sing, you'd know that's never gonna happen." Leaning forward, he laid his fork down on the table, his eyes meeting hers. "But what I am saying is that, as far as I'm concerned, we're even. You don't have to buy me dinner just because I stood up for you."

Connie narrowed her eyes, wondering if he really believed that or if he just wanted to be sure of her motivations. Either way, her answer was the same. "What if I just want to buy you dinner?" she asked and the grin that returned to his face was all the answer she needed. 

"Well then, I would be delighted to accept," he said, before adding with a pointed glance to the bowl of chilli on the table, "though I warn you, it's gonna have to go some to beat this chilli." 

"Why, Detective..." Connie crossed her arms over her chest. "That sounds like a challenge."

"Yeah?" He crossed his arms, mirroring her posture and yes, those eyes definitely twinkled. "And how do you feel about challenges, Counselor?"

If she had to guess, Connie would say her own eyes were twinkling just as much as his were. "I never met one I couldn't win." 


End file.
